1923 B3 'Charlotte II' in 1:3 Scale

[Spookyeng]

Very well done Michael. It has been a pleasure to watch the build! I got my laser cutter back up and running, so if you need anything cut for a project, let me know! I will add a CNC routing machine in the next couple of months to have the ability to cut G10, Carbon Fiber, and Aluminum!

Still looking for my first sailplane project and I have a few in mind. Currently building the 1/3.5 Storchschmiede MS505/Storch and I will equip the airplane for tow duty! Have you started on the Klemm yet? Talk soon and all the best!

Jason

[ARUP]

Thanks Dion, Tom, Gunny and Jason! I really appreciate the comments! I like these old birds. They have a lot of character where they lack 'ability'. It's fun to bring them out of the shadows of history even if only in model form. Maybe some youngster will see these strange things and be inclined to search them out again!

Jason, that MS is very neat! I lurk 'over there' on RCScalebuilder but don't post. I'll PM folks when I am interested. The poor Klemm box is where I left it after unloading it from car. I would like to build it, soon, though. If I live to be 200 I might get all the models built I wish to see!

I made another lead slug for balancing purposes. Weather permitting it will get assembled so the exact amount of lead can be determined to balance at 20-25% MAC. The center section gap cover is completed. It has a tongue and groove receiver at the front and the rear end is captured by a magnet. Cockpit coaming has been sourced from an old leather tie. I was a hipster dufus punk rock kind of guy in my younger days so I'm glad I saved the tie! So far, only six bolts with nuts are required to assemble the Charlotte! Pics to come!

[BStaley]

Michael-model looks great! Looking forward to seeing it. Bill

[ARUP]

Thanks Bill! I hope it flies. I assembled it this morning for some beauty pictures and balancing. Looks like the Charlotte is gonna be just shy of 18lbs if balanced between the 20 and 25% MAC mark. I have to make a form into which to pour molten lead that duplicates the interior nose space so the lead slugs can be bolted in place. Assembly is pretty easy: put wing rods into one wing, inverted just slip fuse onto rods, add the strut (3 bolts), slip other wing in place, add strut, invert to add two wing hold together springs, connect servos to links and, lastly, add wing gap cover.

[ARUP]

I have a few more..

[ARUP]

Last ones...





Gotta start making the lead ballast. Cheers!

[lenb]

You're ridiculous!!

The plane is fabulous. Congrats Michael.

Please send me 1/3 of your talent, I'll gladly pay shipping.

[Melchizedek]

Uniquely fabulous Michael ! Boy I wish you lived near me.

Kevin

[blake]

Michael,

Simply stunning!
Beyond words!

Blake

[ARUP]

Len, thanks buddy! The talent will cost $0.35 I think good old fashioned 'stubborness' (is that a word?) rules the day with this bird! Plus... I've seen some of your work... awesome!

Thanks Kevin! The Charlotte is a unique machine. Those guys had some nerve to fly these things! Hope work doesn't keep you away from your Weddell-Williams too much! Folks... it's a very nice build on the 'Other Designers' forum on www.RCScalebuilder.com There is some excellent glass work in there!

Thanks very much, Blake! Like I've said... I hope it flies. These things can be real let downs at times.

I made a form to pour lead. The slug has cooled off. Now I need to retrofit a nice secure box to place the slug. I really need to remember to do this before closing the fuselage up for these things usually need nose weight! I still have about 30% more lead to place around the nose area. I plan to make it more or less easily removable/ adjustable.

[Dion Dunn]

18 lbs. My electric tow plane won't pull that up.

What if any are the challenges of pulling a flying wing behind a tow plane? I can definitely imagine this thing being chucked off of an Italian hillside with a picturesque background, but being yanked into the air behind tow plane, not so much. Maybe I'm being too romantic to match the elegance of this bird.....

[ARUP]

Hi Dion, thanks for posting! One item I can forsee is 'wingtip waddling' where one wingtip touches, forcing other wing to yaw forward, wingtip touching then lifts then other wingtip touches then cycle alternately repeats with increasing frequency. There is no fuselage to dampen this. It will be imperative to keep wings off ground at launch. The second is that flying wings have a certain speed they fly best at trim (?). I don't quite understand it all but since this plank type wing has a lot of washout too much speed will overpower stabilizing effect of washout causing an unstable roll situation (?). More knowledgeable folks please feel free to post!

[Spookyeng]

Looks great all together Michael! Thanks for checking in on the MS505 build and the PM! Talk soon.

Jason

[Foxsoar]

Michael, awesome work! So when is the maiden? The full scale flew, yours should to.

Mike

[ARUP]

Jason, thanks much! Your MS will be pretty neat and you don't see those every day!

Mike, thanks. You are the flying wing man! The maiden is gonna be at the Winamac, IN aerotow. Did you get that wing rod fixed? You gotta school us again with your Genesis how to make landing approach, get down to a few meters altitude, hit a bubble then fly away and spec out like you did last year at Sled Works!